Strategic directions in implementation of environmental noise directive in international and national legislation

Abstract

Until 1996, the noise policy in Europe had concentrated on the regulations of noise emission from noise sources as road traffic, aircraft and equipment used outdoors. Although noise limits have become increasingly stringent over the years, no corresponding significant reduction in noise emission has been observed. In response to this, the European noise policy has been revised to focus on noise reception. Thus, the Green Paper from 1996 defines as the basic aim of future noise policy that "no person should be exposed to noise levels which endanger health and quality of life". The structure of a new future noise policy has to be based on the Directive on the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise, 2002/43/EC. The Directive defines the three key elements: assessment of environmental noise through strategic noise mapping, implementation of action plans to reduce noise where necessary and information for the public about noise levels and its effects. The Directive defines the common noise indicators and methods for strategic noise mapping as well as the deadline for the Directive implementation. The Directive implementation at national and local level means enacting the new acts or amending existing acts. In this paper, the proposal of steps that can be taken for harmonization of national acts with the basic principles and elements of the Directive is presented and discussed.Osnovna karakteristika strategije borbe protiv buke u Evropi do 1996. godine bila je definisanje propisa koji ogranicavaju emisiju buke potencijalnih izvora, pre svega drumskog saobracaja, aviona i opreme koja se koristi na otvorenom prostoru. Iako su granicni nivoi bili sve stroziji, iz godine u godinu, nije napravljen znacajan pomak u redukciji imisije buke. Zbog toga se strategija menja i fokusira na mesto prijema buke. Dokumentom "Green paper" iz 1996. godine definise se osnovni cilj buduce strategije borbe protiv buke da "ni jedna osoba ne treba da bude izlozena nivou buke koji moze ugroziti zdravlje i kvalitet zivota". Struktura nove strategije buke definisana je direktivom 2002/43/EC koja se odnosi na ocenu i menadzment bukom u zivotnoj sredini (END). Tri kljucna elementa direktive obuhvataju ocenu buke u zivotnoj sredini strategijskim mapiranjem buke, implemntaciju akcionih planova za redukciju buke tamo gde je to neophodno i informisanje javnosti o nivoima buke i njenim efektima. Direktivom su definisani zajednicki indikatori buke i metode za strategijsko mapiranje buke kao i rokovi za implementaciju direktive. Implementacija direktive na nacionalnom i lokalnom planu podrazumeva donosenje novih ili izmenu postojecih zakona. U radu je dat prikaz koraka koje je neophodno preduzeti za usaglasavanje nacionalnog zakonodavstva sa osnovnim principima i elementima END direktive.